Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a guidance display technique in an apparatus capable of communicating with a device compatible with near field communication by returning power from a power-saving mode in which power consumption is lower than that at the time of the normal operation to a normal power mode in response to a human sensor.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a user is caused to press down a button (hereinafter, a power-saving button) to release the power-saving mode at the time of returning the apparatus having the power-saving mode from the power-saving mode. For example, in a recent image forming apparatus, a so-called guidance display is produced by lighting up the power-saving button so that a user easily recognizes the position of the power-saving button. However, there are many users who are confused about the position of the power-saving button, and therefore, an image forming apparatus that automatically returns from the power-saving mode without the need to press down the power-saving button has appeared. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-114499 has disclosed the technique to return from the power-saving mode (to release the power-saving mode) by using two human sensors with different characteristics. Specifically, the technique is characterized in that: the movement of a person who is approaching the apparatus is detected by the first human sensor and the arrival of the person at the front of the apparatus is detected by the second human sensor; and in the case where the movement of the person is no longer detected by the first human sensor in the state where the second sensor detects that the person remains in front of the apparatus, it is determined that the person is a user who stops in front of the apparatus and has the intension of operating the apparatus.
As another function, a recent image forming apparatus includes a customized screen display function dedicated to each user and an ID authentication function to securely print a document of each user. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-263484 has disclosed the technique to display a customized screen unique to a user by including an NFC reader/writer and reading information held within an NFC compatible device, such as a smart phone.
In the case of the image forming apparatus that uses such a human sensor as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-114499, there is a possibility that the human sensor will not work correctly depending on the position where a user stands, and therefore, the power-saving mode will not be released automatically. In such a case, there is a possibility that a user cannot determine immediately whether the power-saving mode is released automatically in response to the human sensor or it is necessary for the user to press down the power-saving button, and therefore, a user will wait for the reaction of the apparatus in front of the image forming apparatus.
Further, in order to bring about a state where the communication by the NFC system can be performed at all times in the image forming apparatus adopting the technique of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-263484, it is necessary to supply power to the NFC reader/writer at all times. However, in the case where the supply of power is cut off because of the power-saving mode or the like, it is no longer possible to perform communication even by performing the operation to touch the NFC compatible device. Consequently, at the time of the power-saving mode or the like, the user will be confused because it is not possible to determine whether the image forming apparatus is in the state where the communication by the NFC system can be performed, whether it is necessary to press down, for example, the power-saving button, in advance in order to enable communication, which operation the user should perform, etc.